Hugo Destaillats is a Staff Scientist at the Environmental Energy Technologies Division, and Deputy Leader of the Indoor Environment Group. He has been at LBNL since 2003. Hugo obtained a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina), and has been a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology.

Hugo’s research interests are at the interface between environmental chemistry, human health and energy efficiency of the built environment. He leads efforts to understand exposure to harmful pollutants, and to develop and characterize new building materials and technologies that improve the environmental quality of the human habitat. While most of his research is related with indoor air quality, Hugo is also active in LBNL’s Heat Island Program, working towards the development and accelerated rating of novel “cool” roofing materials that help save energy and mitigate the urban heat island effect.